Echoes of Revolution and New Change in Red Square

The Soviet Union celebrated its 70th anniversary today with a martial parade of the old trappings of the Bolshevik Revolution and the new watchwords of the Revolution's latest leader, Mikhail S. Gorbachev.

''Democracy, restructuring, speedup'' was proclaimed in giant Cyrillic letters near a vivid red banner depicting Lenin, the revolutionary founder, looking resolutely upon the Red Square festivities as Mr. Gorbachev led the nation into its eighth decade.

The rhetoric of the day ranged from hopeful anticipation of Mr. Gorbachev's summit meeting in Washington next month with President Reagan to a stern vow to keep the nation so militarily prepared that ''no one would dare to disrupt its peaceful life.''

Both points were made by the featured speaker at the two-hour parade, Defense Minister Dmitri T. Yazov, who blended optimism and caution as the Soviet leadership celebrated the Revolution's continuing dominance before crowds of jubilant citizens bundled against a picturesque snow flurry. 'Threat of Nuclear War Persists'

''Despite favorable trends on the international stage, the situation in the world remains complicated - the threat of nuclear war persists,'' General Yazov declared as the nation witnessed the prideful, sunlit scene on television.

Old machine-gun carriages drawn by four-horse teams - the ''tachankas'' of revolutionary times - lunged and rattled across the cobbled square in counterpoint to the modern Red Army's wheeled rocket launchers.

Towering red flags snapped and rippled flame-like above scores of thousands of troops and factory workers who paraded to patriotic music past Lenin's granite mausoleum. There, Mr. Gorbachev watched, smiling occasionally as the people hailed the day with shouts of ''slava'' - praise.

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In Leningrad, the ship's bell was sounded aboard the cruiser Aurora, a historic vessel that figured in the revolution of November 1917. It was in November that the Provisional Government that had replaced Czar Nicholas II in March 1917 fell to the Bolshevik faction. Castro in Front Rank of Allies

Amid various celebrations, Leningrad youngsters gathered gifts for their peers in Nicaragua, as the Soviet Union emphasized the international aspirations of its revolution, a point made as well here in the display of dignitaries atop Lenin's mausoleum. In the front rank of Soviet allies stood the Cuban President, Fidel Castro. Recently there have been reports of a Soviet-Cuban rift over economic policies.

Western military experts as usual eyed the parade beyond such gala touches as the giant Soviet flag that floated in the sky suspended from a dirigible. But no new weapons were brandished, as if planners were sensitive to the approaching summit meeting. The parade included some short-range nuclear-tipped missiles that will not be affected by the medium-range disarment treaty Mr. Gorbachev is expected to sign in Washington.

General Yazov alluded to the summit meeting as of ''particular significance'' in what he described as the Soviet policy of strengthening peace and ''doing everything to prevent the realization of designs of aggressive imperialist circles.''

The Red Army was ''vigilantly on guard,'' said the general, who was hurriedly promoted to Defense Minister this year amid the nation's shock at the ability of a young West German to penetrate air defenses from Helsinki and land his light plane near the Kremlin. A Parade by Invitation Only

Today, Red Square was a security bastion, with only invited guests allowed near the parade. The streets beyond were festive nevertheless, with business brisk and steamy at the sidewalk samovars and ice cream stands in Arbat Street as big crowds gathered to informally cheer soldiers emerging from the parade square. The city seemed crystalline for the anniversary, lightly dusted from the first snows enjoyed by a few visitors last midnight as Red Square waited in soothing silence except for the tolling of the bells in the clock tower above Spassky Gate in the Kremlin.

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A version of this article appears in print on November 8, 1987, on Page 1001014 of the National edition with the headline: Echoes of Revolution and New Change in Red Square. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe